Subjectivity And Reduction: An Introduction To The Mind-body Problem

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Routledge, Jul 9, 2019 - Philosophy - 140 pages
Contemporary philosophy has seen a proliferation of complex theories and intricate arguments brought to bear on the mind-body problem, perhaps the most intractable of perennial philosophical problems. In this concise and accessible text, Barbara Hannan provides an elegant introduction to this contemporary debate. Her emphasis is upon the clear and even-handed presentation and evaluation of the major theories of the mind, but she does not shrink from contributing to the advancement of the argument, including the presentation of an original account, the theory of "content internalism." Along the way to the formulation of this account, Hannan puts into context and discusses the views of all the major contemporary philosophers writing on the mind, including Lewis, Putnam, Searle, Davidson, Dennett, and Fodor. Combining a deep respect for the depth of the issues with clarity of thought and lucidity of expression, Subjectivity and Reduction is the ideal introduction to the central problem of today's philosophy of mind.
 

Contents

Acknowledgments
Reductive Materialist MindBody Theories
Reductive Physicalism Type Identity
Functionalist MindBody Theories
Does the Chinese Room Argument Work?
Arguments for Eliminative Materialism
Arguments Against Eliminative Materialism
Two Versions of NonReductive Materialism
In Defense of Content Internalism
The Problem of Mental Causation
Summary Loose Ends Conclusions
Notes
References
About the Book and Author
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About the author (2019)

Barbara Hannan is assistant professor of philosophy at the University of New Mexico. She has taught previously at the University of Arkansas and the University of Idaho.

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